For at least four decades and continuing to the present, helmet chin straps, especially chin straps for football helmets, have been secured by a buckle or slide socket which snaps to a flanged stud protruding from the helmet. An equally-old type of slide socket involves a stamped metal base plate or "slide" and a roll-formed socket attached to the base plate by a rivet. The "mouth" of the socket is rolled inward to retain a wire-like snap ring, the inside diameter of which is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the stud bead.
When the conventional slide socket is pressed to position so that the snap ring slips over the bead and engages the stud, there is an audible snapping sound which informs the wearer that the slide socket is seated. This is important for at least two reasons. In high school football, a team may draw a penalty if a chin strap is off at the start of play. And, of course, it is best to have the helmet fully secured for optimum protection of the wearer's head.
Types of slide sockets are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,237,257 (Forsberg); 1,712,976 (Blair); 2,867,811 (Jones); 2,693,625 (Van Buren, Jr.);873,128 (Holmes) and 887,209 (Mattson). The Forsberg patent is believed to be the same buckle as shown in the literature of Schutt Athletic Sales as filed with this application and as discussed below.
Conventional metal slide sockets are attended by a number of problems. One is the failure of the rivet which secures the slide and socket together. Often, such failure results from the collision of player's helmets. In the event of such a failure, the slide socket must be immediately replaced, if for no other reason (during high school play) than to avoid a penalty.
Yet another problem is that the conventional metal slide, which is relatively thin and ductile, is easy to bend or break. If bent or broken, the strap may be held insecurely or not at all. And irrespective of whether the metal slide is intact, it can inflict a cut during the inevitable helmet-slapping which occurs during contact sports including football.
Yet another problem, of lesser importance, is that even though major portions of conventional slide sockets are overlayed with a protective plating, this plating wears off or may have small surface voids where there is no plating. The absence of the protective plating (which seems more aptly described as a "flash" coating) results in rusting and corrosion of the slide socket, especially in areas near salt water.
The plastic slide socket shown in the aforementioned Schutt literature is of one-piece construction and has rounded ends and edges. Its molded cavity and rim are sized and shaped to snap over and receive the stud bead. The rim has an inside diameter slightly smaller than that of the bead to provide snap action. However, even though it seemingly solves the cutting and breaking problems attending metal slide sockets, the Schutt/Forsberg socket introduces new problems of its own.
Specifically, the rim tends to wear or "round out" with repeated use. And the rim and cavity may also tend to elongate since the usual way of releasing a slide socket is to lift one end until it unsnaps. Eventually, the prior art socket loses its ability to retain the strap and must be replaced.
Clearly, an improved slide socket which avoids "rounding out," which is rust and corrosion proof, which is devoid of rivets and which is made by an innovative method would be an important advance in the art.